AN: Hello there! I hope you like this chapter. I found it very difficult to write. It's a little of a transition chapter, but a lot happens.

Enjoy and review!

Nothing but the Truth

Chapter 14: Doubts are Traitors

"Our doubts are traitors, and make us lose the good we oft might win by fearing to attempt."

- William Shakespeare, Hamlet

"Tsunade-sama," Sakura mumbled as the hokage materialized in the bedroom of their suite. Her shishou had very bad timing as Sakura was still trying to calm her body down from the exchange she had just had with Itachi. If Sakura wasn't so in tune with her body, there was a very good possibility that Tsunade would have materialized at a very, very bad time. Sakura hardly thought that being caught making out with Uchiha Itachi by her shishou of all people would make for a pleasant conversation.

Itachi tensed. The fifth hokage was standing in the middle of their room and she found them by using Sakura. Could she have found them this entire time? Have she and Sakura been communicating on a regular basis? Has the kunoichi been leaking information about the Akatsuki since her arrival three months prior? Sakura had always seemed to be honest with him and the others, but she was loyal to Konoha first, so he couldn't blame her if she was reporting her observations back to her home. However, Sakura had seemed just as surprised as he was, so he wasn't sure what to make of the situation just yet. He was aware that the hokage was staring in a blatantly angry way at him, but he tried to ignore the feeling of honey-colored eyes boring into his face.

Tsunade was staring, with a disapproving curve to her face, at the sleep-ruffled looking at Itachi, hands crossed over her chest when she spoke. "Sakura," she stated evenly, turning to give her student a brief look. The stern look that crossed her face when she observed her student and the manner in which the room was set up was both blatant and obvious. "Why do you look like you've been doing a multi-day surgery? You're thin, pale, and you look as if you haven't slept in days."

Sakura stood erect, but her face blanched into a guilty look immediately. "About that…" she replied faintly.

"Sakura," Tsunade replied in a very harsh, reprimanding tone. "You'd make yourself that vulnerable here?" Her arms waved around, gesturing to the room, to Itachi, in exasperation. Itachi couldn't help but note that Sakura did the exact same thing when she was annoyed, and he decided that she probably took after her teacher in more than just medical talent and strength.

Sakura's eyes cast to the floor in answer, and her teacher huffed. "I was healing a chronic, fatal ailment of Uchiha Itachi."

Tsunade's gaze turned thoughtful for a moment, her attention now completely on Sakura. As she spoke, her voice was softer, yet just as firm, "Sakura, healing his eyes in exchange for the life of Kakashi is one thing. I understand that. But saving his life now? You are aiding an enemy of Konoha, and you know that they'll charge you with treason if they ever find out."

Itachi contemplated her words carefully, listening for any signs that Sakura had been reporting back to Konoha. If she hadn't, it meant that Itachi could keep her safe. But if any other member of the Akatsuki found out she had been spilling secrets, they would kill her on sight. Deidara and Kisame wouldn't want to do it, but they would be forced to if they found out and Itachi knew that.

Sakura bit her lip, but turned to face the hokage. "I'm aware of the consequences of my actions."

"Sakura," Tsunade's voice spoke, full of uncertainty. "You would never betray Konoha."

Sakura nodded her head. "I would never betray Konoha," she repeated.

"If I gave the order, right now, what would you do?"

Itachi was confused at the ambiguity of the question, but Sakura seemed to know exactly what Tsunade was talking about. Sakura didn't pause, didn't skip a beat, "I would kill him. Or at least I would try."

Something twisted within Itachi's chest when she said that, but he knew that she had to say it. If he were in her position, he would answer the same way, and like Sakura, he would be telling the truth. It's not something that's easy to think about or easy to do, but that is the life of the shinobi. Death, killing, murder – it's just part of the job, and sometimes you had to kill those you love.

Tsunade nodded her head, seemingly pleased by the answer, and then said, "I've never questioned your loyalty, and as I said before, you would never betray Konoha by aiding an enemy." Tsunade didn't allow Sakura to reply. She continued, "Therefore, I must come to the conclusion that you do not believe that Uchiha Itachi is not an enemy of Konoha. And I trust your judgment completely."

Sakura's eyes widened and Itachi's head shot up so he was facing the hokage fully. "He's not," Sakura replied sternly, her eyes filling with vigor.

Tsunade arched a brow. "What makes you say that?"

Sakura was about to speak and tell Tsunade what she found out when Itachi's voice filled the air, laced with warning. "Sakura," he bit out. Both Sakura and Tsunade turned to face him. He was now standing next to the bed, and he bowed lightly at the hokage. "It is an honor to meet you, Hokage-sama. I'm sorry for interrupting, but there are some questions that are better left unanswered and some truths that are better left in the dark."

"Itachi!" Sakura huffed in exasperation.

Before Itachi could reply, Tsunade said, "You don't seem like a mass murdering psychopath. In fact, the events of that evening have confused many shinobi. From what I've heard from others, no one would have ever suspected you to do this. You said you did it for power, but everyone claims that power was never something that was important to you like it was for the rest of the Uchiha clan. Most shinobi believe that there was something larger at play that night."

Itachi clenched his teeth. "My comrades knew me well," he replied smoothly. "But as I said, some truths are better left secret."

"I understand. That's why I've entrusted Sakura to your care for so long. I trust her judgment of character, and you seem to have gained her favor. Anyway, bringing her back is not why I'm here."

"Yes, shishou, why are you here? And who is acting as your chakra enhancers?" Sakura asked, now riveted with the jutsu her and Tsunade had created.

Tsunade grinned. "Naruto and Kakashi, of course."

Itachi didn't miss Sakura's face beaming at her shishou at the mention of her teammates. "Naruto does have more chakra than anyone else, doesn't he?" Tsunade nodded. "So they can hear us?" Tsunade nodded once again. Sakura's eyes welled with tears, her heart clenching. It was so easy to fall into a pattern and not think of her friends back home because it hurt too much, but knowing that they were sitting behind Tsunade, channeling their chakra so the hokage could visit Sakura, made her miss them so much. "I miss you guys so much."

"Chakra enhancers?" Itachi echoed, completely confused. How the hokage had ended up standing in the middle of their suite room on a barge was a mystery to him, but now he was curious. This seemed to be some powerful jutsu if the person required other shinobi's chakra.

Sakura turned to look at Itachi, her face lighting a bit at his confusion. She doubted Tsunade could tell, but Itachi had one eyebrow drawn in slightly and he was looking at the floor. Sakura knew it meant he was confused and trying to work through what was going on. "It's a jutsu, Itachi," Sakura explained. "We use another shinobi's chakra to project-"

"You can explain later. Don't break Naruto's and Kakashi's concentration, Sakura. Naruto is already distracted enough," Tsunade laughed. "Anyway, my time here is limited and there are things we must discuss."

"Right," Sakura replied and faced her teacher dutifully.

"It's about Sasuke." Sakura bit her lip, and she turned to Itachi once again. He was now staring warily at the hokage. Tsunade gave Itachi a pointed look.

"You can say anything in front of him about Sasuke. I'll tell him after this anyway, so you might as well just let him stay. Plus, he's recovering," Sakura said before Tsunade could banish the Uchiha. Tsunade looked at her, disgruntled. Sakura continued, "He cares for his brother."

Tsunade visibly scoffed, but didn't retort to the seemingly preposterous comment. "Anyway," she began, "As we know, Sasuke killed Orochimaru two years ago, but unfortunately it didn't seem to end him like it was supposed to. After he arrived back in Konoha, we sent him through a battery of tests and have determined that Sasuke absorbed Orochimaru's powers. Once again, we knew this. However, a piece of Orochimaru is still within Sasuke that is able to influence him. He should have been able to absorb Orochimaru's powers without the side effects of having a piece of what we believe to be Orochimaru's life force within him. But it's there, and we need to find a way to remove it. The council already wants him executed for his crimes against Konoha, and I've been deferring his trial as long as I can. If we can't find a way to remove the piece of Orochimaru's soul, then they will have every reason to execute him. Getting Orochimaru out of Sasuke is the only way he has a chance to live."

Sakura gulped as she digested all of the information. That was just too much to digest in one sitting, and she didn't even want to turn to face Itachi. Outwardly he would be calm and collected, but Sakura knew that he was probably panicking right now. So, Orochimaru had managed to implant a bit of his life force into Sasuke when Sasuke killed him and absorbed his powers. That would mean that the sannin was still attempting to take Sasuke as his vessel and was one step closer. Resolutely, Sakura eyed her teacher once again, "What can I do to help?"

"I'm glad you asked. I've tried everything I could think of, Sakura, but I'm too old and set in my ways. You've created jutsu that I could have never even fathomed, and your creativity in these matters is unrivaled" Tsunade praised. Sakura's face turned the color of her hair from embarrassment. "I need you to figure out a way to remove Orochimaru from Sasuke completely."

"You need me to come home," Sakura inferred, trying to keep her voice from cracking. Not that she'd ever admit it to anyone from Konoha, but she'd become incredibly attached to the Akatsuki. Both Kisame and Deidara were fun, caring (although they'd kill you if you ever called them that), and were incredibly good sparring partners. Since arriving, Sakura knew that her skills had increased ten-fold from her training with the Akatsuki members. Then there was Itachi.

Everything that was happening with him was destined to be temporary, and Sakura was no fool. She knew that whatever was going on with them – even though they had only kissed a few times – would never last. However, she couldn't help but realize this was the first time she'd felt anything for someone since Neji. After their breakup, Sakura was certain she would never love anyone again. Neji had been the person who really picked up the pieces after Sasuke left. Sure, Sakura found comfort in her team. Naruto and Sai were like surrogate brothers, and Kakashi was more of a father to her than her own dad, but it was Neji who taught her how to love again. He was also the first person, since Sasuke, to break her heart.

That was unbearable. Dumping herself into her work, she had taken on more missions and logged more hours at the hospital and on the training grounds after her split with the Hyuuga. It was as if she was suffocating from a weight that had landed on her chest, and she didn't know whether she wanted to cry or run from Konoha forever. Truthfully, she did both. Her missions took her far from home and she spent her nights alone and sobbing. It seemed like the pain would never end. Eventually, the pain subsided, but the feeling of loneliness never left. That brought her back to Itachi – his subtly caring nature, intelligence, devotion, loyalty, and intense gaze sent her stomach into knots and made her knees weak. Sakura knew she'd by lying to herself if she said she didn't have feelings for him. Mostly, the constant, hollow feeling of pure loneliness was gone when she was with him, and it scared her.

Tsunade was giving her a moment to think, but soon pulled Sakura out of her internal thoughts. "I need you to figure out a way to remove Orochimaru's soul from Sasuke without killing him, yes. In order to do that you'd probably have to see the patient."

"I need to do research," Sakura muttered, almost to herself, "before I could even fathom putting anything to practice."

"Very well," Tsunade replied. "What do you need?"

"Information on Orochimaru," Sakura replied. She cringed. "That means I'll have to find him."

Tsunade sighed. "Leave him to me. You worry about the rest. I'm deferring the team that's tracking you to find him."

"Understood," Sakura replied warily. She didn't like thinking of him.

"If I may interject," Itachi said suddenly. Sakura jerked her head to look at him. His usually intense eyes were glossed over as if he was deep in thought. "Orochimaru was in the Akatsuki, and we naturally have copious amounts of records on him as well as a good amount of his original research. Orochimaru is as big of a threat to the Akatsuki as he is to Konoha, and our Leader has wanted him dead for years. I'm sure he could be persuaded to grant Sakura access to our data if it meant ending Orochimaru once and for all."

Tsunade furrowed her brow. She stated, with a rushed and annoyed tone, "That's fine, but it means Sakura will be staying with you longer. How can you assure her safety? Surely this leader of yours is not willing to have some Konoha shinobi snooping around your records. Additionally, the council is growing angry with Sakura's absence. They suspect she's defected since she hasn't returned home yet and convincing them otherwise is getting more difficult."

"What?" Itachi hissed before Sakura could even comprehend what her shishou had said. Itachi was losing his temper, and Itachi Uchiha never lost his temper. Except when it came to Sakura, he realized suddenly. The only other time he could remember losing his temper recently was when she had been captured by another group of rogue ninja and the thought of her being killed was imminent. Then there was the incident just a few days ago with Deidara. His fury at the other Akatsuki was brief, but it was there. Now, though, it was Konoha's own council members, the ones Sakura swore to protect, who were threatening her.

Sakura was taken aback by his tone completely. To hear him so utterly infuriated (although it was quieter than most) shocked her. "Danzou Shimura is still the head of the council, yes?" Itachi asked harshly. Tsunade nodded, equally surprised by the Uchiha's outburst. "Then you tell him I said this: 'Remember our deal, Danzou, and it now applies to Sakura as well.' He'll know what you're talking about, and it'll keep the council off of your backs for a little while at least," Itachi took a deep breath, now trying to control his annoyance at the damned council. "And when it comes to my Leader, he will allow Sakura to do her research. I may have to lie for him to accept, but he will accept. You should keep you Konoha shinobi away from the Akatsuki for the time being, though, so he doesn't grow suspicious. If Sakura needs an extraction team, we will send for one."

"Ordering me around now, Uchiha?" Tsunade said with a quirked brow. To a stranger, she sounded annoyed, but Sakura could discern the amusement in her shishou's voice.

"My apologies, Hokage-sama," he replied evenly.

This time, Tsunade laughed. "Don't worry about it Uchiha-"

The hokage's words were cut off by a banging at the door. "Hey, Itachi, Sakura, are you two alright in there? I felt a spike of chakra earlier," Kisame yelled through the door. "And I sense three people in there? What's going on?"

"Just go in there, yeah!" Deidara yelled from beyond the door. "What if it's those damn Leaf-nin coming to take Sakura away?!"

"I'm not just going to barge in!" Kisame howled back. Then, he continued, insinuation laced in his words, "What if they're-"

"WHAT?" Sakura hollered, stopping Kisame from finishing the sentence. "What do you think we're really doing in here Kisame, you pervert?!"

"That's it, we're going in!" Bang. The door opened into the room with Deidara and Kisame spilling into it unceremoniously. Their eyes widened at the sight of the hokage standing in the middle of the room, arms crossed over her chest, an amused smirk on her face. Instantly, Kisame's hand went to his sword while Deidara pulled clay into his hands from the pouch.

Tsunade let out a bark of laughter. "Like you could if you wanted to, boys," she said with a hint of challenge.

Kisame grunted and straightened himself, his hand dropping from his sword. "What is she doing in the middle of the room?! She's the hokage for Kami's sake!"

"She's a projection, Kisame," Sakura explained. To further her point, she trudged to her shishou and waved her hand through Tsunade's stomach. The area cleared for a moment, only to reform when Sakura's hand finished its movement. "It's like the astro-projections you guys use to communicate, but by using other ninja's chakra to fuel the projection, Tsunade-shishou can use jutsu if she wanted to. It's like a mix between astro-projection and that shape-shifting technique that Kisame and Itachi can use."

"How do you know about our astro-projections, yeah?" Deidara asked with a fretting tone to his voice that signaled his panic. If Sakura knew that much about the Akatsuki that she was willing to reveal, what did she know that she was keeping from them? Plus, the hokage was here. What was she doing here? This could mean big trouble for all of them.

Sakura shrugged noncommittally, "Research."

Deidara snorted, seemingly forgetting his earlier panic. "You're such a nerd, yeah," he teased.

"What'd you say, asshole?" Sakura hissed, waving her fist at Deidara. Then, Sakura looked around, realizing that somebody was missing from this little get together. "Where's Tobi?"

"He had to duck out early. Leader gave him a mission, yeah. Not that I can tell you what it was with you-know-who here," Deidara replied, giving a pointed look towards Tsunade. "Speaking of which, why is she here?"

"She's come to give Sakura a mission," Itachi answered.

"To do what?" Kisame asked gruffly. He wasn't too fond of the current situation at all. It wasn't looking good for Sakura or Itachi – the leader of the Leaf village was standing in the middle of their suite! This meant the kunoichi could have been supplying information to Konoha this entire time. If she had been, they would have to kill her. Kisame didn't really care about the Akatsuki or their goals, but he was not about to defy Pein's orders and get himself killed over the kunoichi.

"To kill Orochimaru," Itachi supplied. Kisame's eyebrows shot up so they almost reached his spikey hair. Deidara gaped at the statement, the color leaving his face. Sakura blushed a bit at their reaction.

"Didn't your brother already do that, Itachi?" Kisame asked after a moment or two.

"Apparently not," Itachi replied. "I'm going to let Sakura see Orochimaru's research that we keep at the base in order to destroy him for good."

"What makes you think that she can do it, yeah?" Deidara asked haughtily.

"What'd you say?" Sakura bit out through clenched teeth. Her temper was rising quickly in frustration at this entire situation.

"She is more than capable," Tsunade replied. "Anyway, my time with you wonderful people is almost up. Is there anything you require, Sakura?"

Sakura thought for a moment. "I'll need to see Sasuke at some point, and I require my research that I've already done on Orochimaru. Ino and Shizune know where to find it, and if they don't, then Neji will."

Tsunade nodded. She looked at Sakura with soft eyes, brimming with pride for her apprentice and surrogate-daughter. "I'll have someone meet you at your docking point with your research," she said. "I have to go now. Stay safe. And I'm so proud of you Sakura. I can tell you've gotten stronger."

Sakura blushed, pride welling within her from her shishou's words. Also, there was pain. So much pain and longing to go home and be with her family, her friends. She could sense Kakashi and Naruto behind Tsunade, channeling into the projection, so that she could see her teacher. "I love you all," Sakura said, silently cursing herself when her voice faltered.

With one last sad smile, Tsunade was gone in a blinding green light.

Sakura tried her best not to cry, just excused herself in a frantic hurry to go wash up and get ready for the day, all while practically sprinting out of the room. Once she was out of the bedroom, leaving three bewildered men behind, she rushed to the bathroom and shut the door just before the first tears spilled from her eyes.

It was all so painful, too painful to handle. All this time, she worked like a machine. The feelings of longing to go home were pushed back behind her mental barrier as she compartmentalized and focused on her goal, her work. After seeing her shishou, after feeling Naruto and Kakashi – the two who she cared for most in this world – it was all too much. She wanted to go home. The tears spilled from her eyes as her hands covered her mouth to silence her sobs. There was a deep ache in the pit of her stomach that ran to her heart and settled in her throat, making the agony all the worse. It was like she had swallowed a rock that was slowly, painfully sliding down her throat and into her heart. It made her stomach sink and her knees quiver underneath her.

She ended up in the fetal position without her realizing it, her forehead touching the cool tiled floors as another silent cry formed on her lips. Through her blurry vision, she could see the tears pooling on the floor. She had been so strong up to this point; she was cursing herself for losing it now.

This entire time she had been working so hard to keep her calm, and she reacted to the pressure like she always had in the past – ignore the pain and focus on the work. She had a task to complete, a goal in mind. Her motives were simple – protect her loved ones. Protect Kakashi. Protect Naruto. When that task, healing Itachi's eyes, was complete, she found a new one. Now, though, she was successful in both of her tasks. Once again, there was another task to complete. It was constant. When would this end? When could she go home? Now, she had to protect Sasuke. As much as she hated him, resented him, she still loved him. He was still her former comrade, her former friend. Although he may have seen her as a nuisance, she still cared for him deeply.

Resolutely, she shoved her arms underneath her and lifted herself up so she was sitting on the floor. She wiped the tears from her eyes and then went to clean the pool of salty water she'd left on the floor. That's all tears were: salty water. Yes, she could to this.

X

The next day, the group docked in Whirlpool Country. It was a small island just off the coast of Fire Country, and to Sakura's infinite delight, the weather here was much more pleasant than Lightning Country. Although it was late fall and still cold, there was no constant rain and thunderstorms. There was a forest, but it wasn't a jungle so maneuvering for Sakura would be much easier and more familiar.

After her mini-meltdown in the bathroom, she felt a little better. At least, she was able to push the longing to go home back behind her mental barrier in order to complete her new task. She had examined Itachi's heart and lungs, and was pleased to inform him that his ailment was completely gone. Now, she would focus on creating the eye drops for his eyes that would keep them from getting as bad as they were. Additionally, she would be researching Orochimaru in order to help Sasuke.

As they stepped off of the boat into the small port down, Sakura took in a deep breath of fresh air. It smelled like home. Tobi was still absent, apparently having returned to Rain Country to be with Pein and Konan (whoever she was). Sakura walked with her three companions out of the town and onto a dirt path that led to the center of the island, apparently where their base was located.

"You want to spar with me when we get there, Kisame? There's a jutsu I learned that I wanted to try on you!" Sakura asked as the group walked.

"You sure you can handle that, kid?" Kisame joked.

"Tch of course I can," Sakura rebuked, crossing her arms indignantly over her chest.

"What kind of jutsu it is, yeah?" Deidara asked. "Is that what you've been working on for two hours every morning?"

"It's a secret, and I've been working on a lot of things," Sakura replied. For some reason, she was in the front of the group, Kisame and Deidara flanking her sides, with Itachi walking at a relaxed pace behind them. "I think this one will even take Itachi off guard!"

"You think so?" Kisame asked.

"Hm?" Itachi inquired.

"Yup I-" Sakura trailed off for a moment and stopped, causing everyone else to stop with her, confusion written on their faces (except for Itachi whose face remained stoic, of course). Suddenly, her back bent backwards as a senbon whistled past her through the trees and across the path in a sideways motion. It imbedded itself in a tree opposite of where it came from. Itachi saw her eyes light up mischievously as she righted herself. "You're going to have to do better than that!" she yelled into the forest.

As if on cue, a loud roar was heard from the trees, and black and white tiger leapt onto the path. Itachi saw Deidara reach for his clay and Kisame reach for Samehada in an instant. "No," Itachi commanded. "This is not a fight; it's a greeting."

Deidara turned around to face him incredulously. "A greeting, yeah?"

Itachi merely inclined his head toward the small battle that was unfolding in front of them. Sakura had just punched the inked tiger into oblivion and threw several kunai into the trees. A smooth, taunting voice came from the trees.

"Your aim is as bad as ever, Ugly."

Sakura grit her teeth and lunged into the forest, disappearing from sight. She reemerged only moments later as she threw the man she was fighting to the ground. She ended up on the dirt path, straddling Sai's waist, about twenty feet in front of the three Akatsuki. Itachi raised an eyebrow in surprise. She was able to subdue the boy that quickly? He looked to be about her age with incredibly pale skin and black hair. The tanto on his waist and outfit told Itachi he was a member, or a former member, of ANBU Root.

"And your hand-to-hand combat is still average at best, Asshole," she countered playfully. "And I win this round, which means lunch is on you next time."

"Tch, now, now, Sweetheart, you know better than to leave your back wide open," a voice said from behind Sakura. She felt the cool sensation of the kunai that was now precariously close to her neck from the assaulting person. Sai merely smiled blankly at Sakura from his place on the ground. Sakura, on the other hand, beamed from the sound of a certain person's voice.

"Genma," she almost squealed.

His voice was soft, "Hey there, Sweetheart."

"The answer is yes, I do know better than that," Sakura said smugly. Genma felt the hand on the back of his neck, and he didn't need to turn around to know what it was.

"A shadow clone?" he asked.

"One move and I knock you unconscious," Sakura supplied, still sitting on top of Sai. She quickly pulled herself up, though, and launched herself at Genma as the shadow clone disappeared in a puff of smoke. Her arms went around his neck and she buried her face into his chest. His arms automatically wrapped around her waist, and he pulled her into a hug that caused her feet to leave the ground. She laughed as Genma swung her around in circles. "I missed you," she murmured into his chest.

"Looks like you have some competition, yeah," Deidara quipped, pointing towards the embracing Leaf-nins.

"Silence," Itachi ordered, observing the duo. The thought was absurd. If he remembered correctly, Shiranui was at least fifteen years Sakura's senior, if not more. That would just be ridiculous. But that didn't stop the annoying clenching of his chest that he only recognized as a slight twinge of jealousy from rising inside him.

"You should go claim your-" Deidara's words stopped when Itachi sent a Sharingan-filled glare towards the offending Akatsuki member. "Geez. I'll shut up. No need to look at me like you want to rip out my intestines."

"Looks like she got you two good," a voice said from the trees, causing everyone to stare up into a particularly large tree. A silver-haired jounin said there, orange book in hand, looking incredibly relaxed. If Sakura's eyes could glow any brighter, everyone would need sunglasses in her presence.

"Kakashi-sensei!" Sakura cried.

The copy-nin jumped from his perch, only to be tackled by Sakura. "Yo!" he said from under her embrace. "I'm not your sensei anymore Sakura. You've gotten even stronger, I see."

"Is anybody else getting uncomfortable with all these Leaf-nin around, yeah?" Deidara asked tentatively.

Kisame scoffed. "It's not anything Samehada can't handle."

"You want to bet, Shark-face?" Genma asked. Sai had now stood, and the four Leaf-nins stared at the Akatsuki. The air suddenly thickened with tension as the groups stood facing off with one another. Sakura could barely take it. The last thing everyone needed was a good throw-down in the middle of a civilian country.

"Genma, don't start fights!" Sakura cried as her fist came in contact with his shoulder.

"Ow, that was cruel Sweetheart."

"Tch, do you have my research, or what?" Sakura asked.

"Yeah, yeah, we have it Sweetheart. How are you doing, anyway? All these men being nice to my little princess?" Genma teased, but there was no mistaking the warning tone in his voice that said 'I'll kill them if they aren't.'

Sakura's hands landed on her hips as she scowled in frustration. "Who're you calling princess?!" she yelled.

"According to one of my books, it is called a nick-name. This is why I call you Ugly," Sai iterated.

Sakura simply shot him a death glare. Truthfully, though, she couldn't hide her happiness at seeing her friends. Sai was like a brother to her now, just as much as Naruto was. He and Genma had been integral in helping her cope with her breakup from Neji. Once Sakura decided to try for the ANBU exams, she had spent hours on end training with the weapons expert and Sai since long-range battles were still difficult for her. Genma, in essence, become another 'Kakashi' for her, and she now looked at him like a father.

"Anyway," Sakura huffed, "They're treating me just fine."

"I suppose we couldn't convince you to come back with us?" Kakashi asked, his eyes saddening a bit.

Sakura bit her lip nervously as her heart lurched. Oh how she wanted to agree with him and let him take her back. She wanted to see Naruto, Ino, and her other friends. She wanted everything to go back to normal. But no, she needed the research the Akatsuki had. So she slowly shook her head, "I'm doing this for Sasuke."

"Tch," Genma huffed and crossed his arms over his chest. "Don't know why you even care about that little piece of…"

"Sh!" Sakura hissed, giving a pointed look towards Itachi. "You don't have to go insulting his brother right in front of his face, you baka!"

"Oi," Genma replied. He turned towards the Akatsuki with a lighthearted smile, as if he'd just seen them there for the first time, "Hello there Itachi-san. Long time no see!"

"Shiranui," Itachi replied coolly.

"Still as collected as ever, I see," Kakashi murmured darkly under his mask. He'd taken a step forward so he was standing between the Akatsuki and Sakura. Once again, a palpable tension filled the air. This entire time, Sai had merely been staring at the Akatsuki, waiting for them to move. Kakashi's actions hadn't helped the situation at all as the three missing-nins regarded him with a thick intensity. Even they weren't foolish enough to underestimate the famous copy-nin.

Realizing what he'd subconsciously done, Kakashi scratched the back of his head, his eye crinkling in a sheepish smile, and turned towards Sakura. "I think we should say our goodbyes. Our mission was to deliver you the research and make sure you weren't under any sort of genjutsu. I can tell you're not, and here," he held out a scroll to her which she took quickly, shoving it in her backpack, "All of your research is sealed in there. Make sure they don't see it."

"I understand," Sakura said quietly. The constricting feeling within her chest warned her of the tears that were bound to escape, so she closed the distance between her and Kakashi. Burying her face into his chest while clamping her arms around his midsection, she murmured, "I'll be home soon."

He hugged her back. "I hope so. We all miss you," he whispered.

"I miss you all so much," she whimpered into his vest, holding back the tears.

"Where's my love?" Genma asked with a teasing tone from somewhere behind them. Sakura pulled back from Kakashi slowly, and turned towards Genma. She hugged him with desperation equal to the hug she had just given Kakashi, not bothering to wipe away the small amount of tears that were flowing down her cheeks. "Now, now, Sweetheart, a girl like you shouldn't be crying so much. You're much to pretty."

"Tch," was her muffled reply. "You always say that."

He pulled her back, wiping her tears away with his gloved hands. Grabbing her shoulders lightly, he replied with a soothing, soft voice, "And I mean it every time. I'm supposed to tell you this: I am the guard stationed outside Sasuke Uchiha's cell every Tuesday and Thursday starting tonight. D7."

Sakura nodded, comprehending what he meant immediately. "I understand."

"Good, now get going so you can come home soon," Genma replied.

After a few more tear-filled hugs, the group of Leaf shinobi departed, and Sakura went back to the Akatsuki. Deidara and Kisame took their turns making cracks at the 'too emotional' Leaf shinobi, but Sakura ignored them for the most part. Slowly, they made their way to the center of the island towards the Akatsuki base.

X

They arrived at the base only two hours later. Dusk was barely upon them as Sakura studied her surroundings. This base was much smaller than the other ones. There was no library – only a few bookshelves in the small living room. It consisted of a couch, the bookshelves, and a rickety television set that was no longer functional. There were four small bedrooms, two bathrooms, and a kitchen with a small table in the center. The training grounds were outdoors, to Sakura's delight. It meant she could put more into her training sessions, and she wouldn't have to hold back as much. The house wasn't perfect, but it would suffice.

Itachi showed Sakura the records room in the basement, gathering the scrolls that related to Orochimaru. Sakura brought them back to her room and began steeling herself for what she would have to do next. She pulled out a fresh change of clothes as she munched on an apple. Hopefully, she would be back by dawn.

A light knocking on the door stopped her from continuing to pack her bag. "Come in," she said.

The door opened and Itachi stepped into the room. "Going somewhere?"

"I have to go see Sasuke," Sakura replied coolly despite the fact that her entire body was shaking from the mere thought of sneaking in and out of Konoha.

"I see," he replied. Suddenly, Itachi found himself wondering when this became some sort of democracy when Sakura could decide what she was going to do. He blamed Deidara and Tobi for this. If they hadn't let her out of her room, she'd still be cooped up like a good prisoner. Then again, if they hadn't let her out of her room, Itachi would still by dying and in more pain than he was willing to admit to. Sakura didn't turn to look at him, but she could hear the disapproval in his voice.

"I need to examine him before I do anything," she explained as she continued to pack her back. "Research will only get me so far."

"Hm."

Sakura turned, slinging the backpack over her shoulder. "I should be back by dawn," she stated, looking into his deep obsidian eyes.

"Why didn't you go with them?"

"What?"

"Your comrades. You miss them. You should be with them. You know you belong in Konoha," he replied, arms crossed over his chest as he leaned against the wall that was adjacent to the door.

Sakura stiffened. "I need the research that you have on Orochimaru," she replied as she took a few steps forward.

Itachi left the wall and closed the distance between them in a few steps so that their chests were almost touching. "Is that all?" he drawled slowly. "Is that the only reason you've stayed all this time?"

"You tell me," Sakura replied indignantly. No, she would not let this proximity get to her. Itachi's hands went up slowly, as if not to scare her, and cupped her cheeks. His head leaned down and he closed the distance quickly. Their lips met, and Sakura felt her heart melt and her knees go weak. Suddenly, there was only her and Itachi.

After a brief, chaste kiss, he pulled back. "So, Sakura, is that all? Is the research the only reason you stayed?"

"Maybe," she replied breathily as she pulled back. "I'll see you tomorrow."

She walked to the door quietly and opened it. "Sakura." She stopped. His voice was impassive as ever, but Sakura could hear the hesitance in his words. "Be safe…and make sure you come back."

Her heart fluttered and she almost lost her resolve to leave, but she did. It was only a few hours journey to Konoha from Whirlpool Country when you were as fast as Sakura. It was pitch black by the time the gates of Konoha loomed in the distance, and Sakura knew that this would be her biggest test of all. She would be so close to home, and yet, she would have to leave in a few hours.

Getting into Konoha was relatively easy, Sakura hated to admit. No enemy shinobi could get in and out without being detected, but Sakura knew all of the faults of the Konoha guard. One of which she used often to sneak out to train at night. As she slipped into the gates and ran stealthily across the training grounds, Sakura felt her heart beating loudly in her chest. How she missed home so much. How she longed to return here. How she wished she could bring Itachi with her…

Wait, where had that thought come from? Pushing it aside, she made her way undetected through the town.

The prison was not heavily guarded this time of night, and she made her way stealthily past the guards that were stationed too-far-apart outside. Once again, it was only from years of experience that she knew the flaws in Konoha's defenses. One of which was the guard change. There was a ten minute window where there was no guard at the front desk. As she made her way down the stairs, she waited for the footsteps of the next guard to lessen.

Sakura made her way down one flight of stairs to the D block. Sasuke would have been put there because it was near the surface, and most prisoners were kept further underground. Only one guard would be stationed outside, and she saw that guard right now. "Hey there, Sweetheart," he whispered before she could even reveal herself.

"Genma," she replied, hugging him lightly.

"Go on in. He's sleeping like a baby."

Sakura slipped into the room silently, and as Genma said, he was asleep on his back, hands resting peacefully behind his head. As Sakura approached, a though crossed her mind. It was there so fast and gone in the next instant, but it made her smile nonetheless. He looks just like Itachi when he sleeps.

Sakura was shocked when Sasuke didn't awaken from her presence immediately. Her eyebrows arched in surprise when he didn't awake when she was ended up right next to him, leaning over him. Tch, I would have killed him by now if I were an enemy. Let's have some fun with this one.

Sakura sat across Sasuke's lap, Indian-style, waiting for him to wake up. Pressure on his legs would surely make him wake up, right? No. The younger Uchiha still slept. What did he do all day that made him that exhausted? He was in prison, for Kami's sakes. Annoyed now, Sakura allowed some of her chakra, only a small amount that would be recognizable to someone within ten feet of her, leak out.

Sasuke's eyes began to flutter open. It took them a moment to clear, and realize someone was sitting on top of him. That someone was smirking at him with an evil glint in her jade eyes.

"Good morning, Sasuke. Let's have a chat."

X

AN: Thank you for reading and please review! I love reviews! Yes-sir-ee I do I do!